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UNESCO launches a call for projects driven by young people

UNESCO launches a call for projects in order to identify and support 15 action projects (3 by region) which will be “certified” with the label “8th UNESCO Youth Forum” and implemented by, with and for young women and men between the 8th and the 9th UNESCO Youth Forum (October 2013-October 2015).

Thus, the selection and adoption of these 15 projects, which are expected to be in line with the UNESCO Youth Strategy 2014-2021, will be one of the major outcomes of the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum, to be held at the Organization Headquarters, Paris, France, from 29 to 31 October 2013, under the theme “Youth and Social Inclusion: Civic Engagement, Dialogue and Skills Development.”

Indeed, for the first time in its history, the UNESCO Youth Forum, created in 1999, will not only include strategic recommendations, but it will also select, support and plan innovative and concrete actions that can help achieve positive change for, with and by young women and men on several fields such as social inclusion, civic engagement and participation, social entrepreneurship and innovation, prevention of violence and conflicts, intercultural dialogue, democracy and skills development.

With this goal, the UNESCO’s call for projects launched this Monday 15 July 2013 is open to all young women and men who are members of a youth-led or youth-focused organization, project leaders or young entrepreneurs active in an established NGO. These young people are invited to submit their proposals for an innovative action project in their community, country or region, by filling in the submission form by 12 August 2013, the International Youth Day, midnight, Paris time.

After receiving these proposals, an independent international jury will pre-select 45 projects by the end of September 2013 and their initiators will be invited to submit one-minute video describing their project so that these 45 short films can be visible online by mid-October 2013. Then, during the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum, the young participants will examine and discuss the 45 pre-selected projects with a view to choosing a total of 15 (3 youth-led action projects per the five UNESCO regions). On 31 October 2013, the 15 projects awarded the “8th UNESCO Youth Forum” label will be announced and presented at the 37th UNESCO General Conference, in November 2013.

Allowing young people to submit recommendations to 195 UNESCO’s Member States’ representatives at the highest decision-making level, the UNESCO Youth Forum brings together, every two years, at the eve of the UNESCO General Conference, around 400 young participants from all over the world to exchange views, share experiences, reflect together and, above all, detect common preoccupations and problems.